Hello God, are You there?

One of my biggest pet peeves is being ignored. It drives me crazy! Even if the person is busy and can’t respond promptly, at least please acknowledge me. I know I’m not the only one with this problem. We are a society that has to know that our messages were delivered and acknowledged with the hope response will follow. We see Facebook messages showing ‘Seen at 4:30pm’. Or iMessages that say ‘Read at 10:15am’. Or even at work when someone requests a ‘Read receipt’. We are so used to being served with quick responses.

Even if the response is short or ‘I need some time’, that is perfectly fine. We don’t like being left hanging, unanswered, irrelevant, or confused. Unfortunately, that’s how conversations with God can be. I have been so frustrated with God sometimes because He wouldn’t answer, send a sign, give a word through a preacher, or make a Scripture clearer. I felt like He was ignoring me!

God was silent.

Because God didn’t respond quickly like the Twitterverse or didn’t show His ‘like’ for my activity immediately, I would feel like He was ignoring me. Purposely not answering me. Why would He do this? We’ve been taught that Jesus is not our ‘homeboy‘ but our friend. Friends talk. Friends communicate. Friends validate each other. But when God’s not responding to me, then clearly He’s left me hanging and doesn’t care. Why is God silent?

1. God does care about you.

To end this pity party and remove every lie from Satan, this couldn’t be further from the truth. God cares so much about you and me. He will fight for us. He goes before us. He is with us. He is our salvation. He is our helper. He is our love. His silence isn’t to say He doesn’t care. We know too much about the Father’s heart to assume He is uninterested. God cares about our every need or want. He listens and collects every tear. He doesn’t always answer, but He hears.

2. God doesn’t serve you.

Who are we to think that God HAS to answer us? Perfect example, Job. Job lost everything. His money, health, and children. Job was fed up and went off on God. Job literally gave God a piece of his mind. God remained silent during Job’s rant and let him get all of the hurt, discouragement, and disappointment off of his chest. Once Job had it all out and felt probably a sense of relief that it was all out and perhaps shame for talking to God like that, God responded.

God’s response was one of ‘Who do you think you are? Who do you think I am? Have you forgotten who I am? Let me remind you.’ That may not have been what Job was looking for from God, but it was a great reminder of who was God and who was man. We have to learn that God doesn’t serve us. We serve Him. He’s God and does not owe us anything. But He gives us everything. Our God who is so far above and beyond us, loves each and every one of us.

3. God does what He wants.

We are so used to being catered to. We have things at our fingertips all the time. Don’t want your phone charger? Get a charger case. Don’t want your headphone cords? Get bluetooth headphones. Don’t want your kids around? Take them to a babysitting agency. Don’t want to take care of your parents? Call the nearest nursing home. There are so many ways to make yourself comfortable, that when God doesn’t fall in line, it confuses us. He loves us too much to make us comfortable. He doesn’t answer everything we ask for a reason. He doesn’t have to.

Trust that whatever His answer is, if He answers us, is for our good. We have such truth and comfort in God’s promises that He doesn’t have to answer every beck and call. Be assured that He hears. His ‘No’s may seem numerous but know they are necessary. God says ‘No’ sometimes because right now, isn’t the best time. Trust that He He knows what’s best. ‘No’ may mean ‘not now’ or ‘No’ may really mean ‘not ever’. Either way, God isn’t ignoring you. In fact, He’s leaning in and listening closer.

He doesn’t owe us a response, but He’s gracious enough to give us one.

He doesn’t have to love or care for our sinful selves the way He does. He doesn’t have to pour out His grace and mercy on us daily, but He does. We get so upset because God isn’t telling us what we want to hear when we want to hear it. Why is God silent? Because He chooses to be. Just know that He hears us, and that He may never answer us the way we wants. He doesn’t have to. He already has given us ALL that we need.

Question

Has God’s silence ever confused you?

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Rasheda Likely, originally from Pensacola, FL, finds joy in authoring bi-weekly devotional blogs, spearheading advertising efforts, and serving as secretary for The Wade-O Radio Team. While being on the TWORS team, she successfully completed a Bachelors of Science in Biology and began her studies for a Masters of Science degree in Biology. Rasheda looks forward to impacting the lives of others through the ministry of TWORS the way TWORS has impacted hers.